Frequently Asked Questions about Jury Duty

No. You will be a member of a “jury panel”. The “jury panel” is not a jury. It is a large group of people from whom one or more juries will be selected. You may or may not be chosen from this jury panel to sit as a juror on a civil or criminal trial. As a member of the jury panel, you are only a potential juror.

If you are chosen as a juror, then with the guidance of a judge, you will be responsible for determining questions of fact in a civil trial or one or more verdicts in a criminal trial.

Why do I have to serve as a juror?

As a Canadian citizen, it is your civic duty to respond to a jury Summons and, if chosen, to serve as a juror.

I am over 65. Do I still have to attend?

Yes. Being over 65 does not disqualify you from attending as a juror. If jury duty would cause you serious hardship, please contact the court office noted in the shaded box on the Summons.

What happens if I am a student attending school away from home?

If you are a student attending school away from home, return the Summons and a request in writing (detailing the hardship your serving as a juror may cause), along with supporting documentation, to the court address indicated on the Summons.

I have planned and paid for my vacation. What do I do?

If you have conflicting plans, your jury duty may be postponed until a later date. You will be required to produce proof of your plans to the court office. Contact the court office for more information.

What happens if I work out of the district?

If you live in the district, but work away from home during the week, you must attend for jury duty.

What happens if I have permanently moved from the district?

Jurors must live in the district they have been summoned to attend. If you no longer live in the district, return the summons to the court address shown on the summons and include your new address.

What do I do if I have a medical problem?

If you have a medical problem that would prevent you from attending court on the date set out in the Summons, or which would prevent you from serving as a juror on any of the juries to be selected from the jury panel, you may request that you be excused from jury duty, or that your duty be postponed to another time. You should forward such a request, in writing, to the court office, supported by any documentation you have relevant to the medical problem. Your written request should describe the nature of the medical difficulty.

Please email juryduty@ontario.ca and provide your name and current mailing address so that we can look up your summons information. We will email you the instructions about where and when you are required to attend for jury duty.

Once I have attended court for jury selection, how long will it be before I could be called again?

If you have attended court for jury selection, you are not eligible for jury duty for the following three years, whether you were selected as a juror or not.

If you receive a juror questionnaire within three years following your attendance at court for jury selection, please mark the “yes” box in question #3 of the questionnaire.